This means that if the player and organization are unable to come to an agreement on a new deal, a hearing will occur between the team, the player and a third party salary arbitrator at some point between the dates of July 20 and August 4 to determine a new salary for the 2012-13 season.

Bachman valiantly stepped into the spotlight after Kari Lehtonen fell to an injury halfway through the year.

In his first season as backup, the 24-year old Salt Lake City native went 8-5-1 in 18 appearances, recorded a .910 save percentage and proved that he can handle the starting role if Lehtonen's injury problems continue in the future.

Fistric, a purely defensive defenseman, only recorded two assists through 60 games last season. The Stars essentially gave away Nicklas Grossmann to the Philadelphia Flyers at February's trade deadline, so to alleviate the hole at defense, Fistric will need a solid extension.

The 26-year old blueliner's best season came in 2009-10 when he scored a career high 10 points and finished the year with a plus-27 rating.

Standing at 6-foot-2, 233 pound, he is a mass of humanity that could be a key cog on the defensive side of things for years to come.

The team can negotiate with these players up until the arbitration date. If the Stars do not like the arbitratior's opinion on what the new salary should be, they can walk away from it and the player can become an unrestricted free agent.

With the current salary cap format, the Stars have over $20 million in cap space to work with.

Assuredly, restricted free agent Jamie Benn will receive a large portion of that pie.

———————————————————

Follow Jordan Kuhns on Twitter @jckuhns! Stay tuned to The Checking Line by liking us on Facebook!